Dispensing and vending system



Sept. 18, 1945 H, c WARNER 2,384,863

DISPENSING AND VENDING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 66 MAIN SWITCH M as 05cm LA T0]? SOLENOID F/LAMENT 3r A/voms VOLTAGE 8 HARRY C. WARNER A TTOEWE V5:

Sept. 18, 1945. H. c. WARNER 7 2,384,863

DISPENSING AND VENDING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 05cm LA TOR INVENTORY J HARRY c. WARNER.

ATTORNEYS. I

Patented Sept. i

harem 2,23%,863

EMSPENSWG AND VENDING SYSTEM theory arner, San Francisco, Calif., assignmto American Inventions, Inc., San Francisco, i a corporation 0. @aliiornia Application September 24, 1961, Serial No. d12,199

' 4; oi. (oi. 99 -358) My invention relates to dispensing and vending 6 is a View, P r y in section and Partly orrlca systems, and more particularly to coin operated in elevation, taken as indicated by the line 6-6.

vending systems wherein food and drink, or other in i articles. may be dispensed and vended under the i 7 is Partial i w f my invention Sh wcontrol of a coin-slide, and wherein such food or o nc the ar an m nt us d for d t dis har e of drink may be served either hot, cold, or at room merchandise from the storage stack.

temperature to the public. Vending machines for handling food and drink Among the objects of my invention are: To products for human consumption in individual provide a dispensing and vending system by which units, usually store a pl r li of h nits in food, drink and the like can be served to the ill a dispensin c n s d ta t units,

.public in individual units, and wherein such food, t r old, a a who st a o d pr ddrink or the like may be heated or cooled if dedots are maintained in a heated condition in orsired; to provide a compact dispensing mechader to be ready for consumption, and drinks in nism which can be loaded with a large number most cases are maintained in the cool state ready of articles to be dispensed; to provide a simple t for spens sn m ny c s o eve ho n and emcient storage and dispensing mechanism; d t an a d temperature for 10mg p to provide a dispensing system having a pluralriods of time deteriorates the food, whereas coolity of superimposed tiers of units, each tier feeds p s rv s it. esp ally when the food is not m lgwer tier by gravlty; t provide Vending hermetically enclosed. My invention provides system whereby food, such as for example a that either food or drink may be stored at room sausage assembled in a bun and wrapped, may p r e we an spe ed di e be fully heated in a relatively short time during in the Case Of food requiring e d impaired the vending cycle of the machine; to provide a by p o d exposure t y t e it Of means and method of individually heating units food about to be dispensedisheatedof food stored at lower temperatures in a dispens- 35 My illVeIltiOn involves Preferably t e Stllmge lngmechanism; to provide a means of dispensof a relatively large number of units of either his food or drink in individual containers; to d or dr n co tainers of u for s e and provide a device wherein such containers may p 'made 0f Cardboard, p fi d'o Ot e be heated as required for consumption by the Wise processed to safely and properly hold the public; to provide a, means f ti Wrapped food or drink to be dispensed in accordance with food prepared in individual unit to provide a food laws of this country. These articles are means for quickly and electrically heating food Stored a l o p m fi, lower, in a ;orior to dispensing said food; to provide a m net or similar enclosure if needed, and dispensed chine suitable for incorporation i vending one-by-one as called for, and under the control cabinet, which with only slight mgdification can of a coin-switch in case the units are to be vended be used to dispense food, drink, or similar matefor p rials in units suitable for individual consumption he indi id a its of d ay, if es ed, in hot or cold condition; and to provide a vending th n be pass d, du t d sp ns n cycle, machine wherein a quantity oi individual food through a he ting sta e, where they remain a units of a size suitable for individual consumppredetermined length of tim t be P p y heattion can be stored at room temperature or lower, thereafter being released for consumptionand wherein said food or drink units may be Heating is pr fera cco p ed y t e app individually heated during the dispensing cycle. on of high-freq en y oscillating current Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one storage stack which reduces the heating time to a minimum. as installed inavending abi t, I prefer to store the individual units to be dis- Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section and partly pensed in horizontal tiers, one above the other,

7 in elevation, taken as indicated by the line 2-4 arran ed in such a manner that as one unit is inFig. 1. dispensed from a lower tier, a unit from the tier Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section and partly next above is dropped to take the place of a disin elevation, taken as indicated by the line 3-3 59 p n d milin his manner 8 p l y of tiers inFig. 1. may be utilized, one above the other, and under Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of 'the mechanism these circumstances it will always be the top tier used to advance the storage stack. which is first emptied.

Fig. 5 is a to view in elevation of the mechy de ce is. for ex p e. m en suited anism for releasing heated articles. l di p n n the type of sandwiches known in frequency currents just prior to discharge from the machines.

As an example of the type or liquids that can be dispensed, I may load the dispenser with containers holding soft drinks of all kinds, fruit juices and other fluids such asmilk, which may be directly dispensed and vended at the proper drinking temperature. Soup, in proper containers, can be heated in the same manner as the sandwiches. Candy can be dispensed without heating or cooling.

It will, therefore, be obvious to those skilled in the art that the machine to be described herein may be utilized for handling, dispensing and vending food, drink, or other articles that can be put in containers of uniform shape and bulk.

Broadly as to apparatus, I provide a storage and dispensing mechanism comprising apertured drums stacked one above each other with the apertures passing vertically through the drums. Each of the apertures loosely contains the units to be dispensed, and between each drum is positioned a stationary separating plate which is particularly apertured so that as the entire stack rotates, one and one only unit will drop from each of the storage drums. The article in the lowest drum will be dispensed, while the article from an upper drum will drop into the next lower drum. The apertures in the separating plates are staggered, so that as one unit drops out of the lowermost storage drum a unit from the storage drum next above drops into an aperture of the lower drum previously vacated by a unit. Thus, each storage drum will remain practically full until all the drums above it are empty. The uppermost drum will therefore be emptied first, each succeeding lower drum then being emptied one at a time until the lowermost storage drum is emptied to empty the entire stack. The stack may, of course, be made of as many units one above the other as practical. In this manner, a large storage of units may be accomplished in a relatively compact space.

Means are provided to rotate the entire stack of storage members relative to the separation plates, by an amount in each cycle sufficient to dispense one unit only. In case it is not desired to treat or otherwise change the temperature of the dispensed unit, this unit may be directed by a chute into the hands of the consumer. The rotational movement of the stack may be placed under the control of a coin-slide.

In case the units are to be changed in temperature, the dispensed unit is held in a heating position immediately below the outlet of the dispenser, and preferably means are provided to apply high-frequency electrical oscillations to the unit to heat it by the generation of eddy currents therein. I prefer to use cardboard carriers. Such containers themselves are somewhat conductive and the containers also become heated, although they do not shield the contained food, which is directly heated as well.

The stay in the heating position is preferably under the control of a time-clock. At the end of a predetermined time, means are provided for releasing the food unit from the heating position to fall by gravity into a chute which conveys the heated unit into the hands of the consumer. I prefer that the dispensing and heating mechanism be so arranged that all transfer movements be made by gravity.

I also prefer to dimension the dispenser to utilize a standard size, preferably cylindrical carrier, for all products. In this manner, the same dispensing mechanism may be utilized to vend a large number of different articles. In the case of sausage sandwiches, for example, the bun which has been split and had a sausage laid therein, may be wrapped in a napkin and placed inside the standard cardboard cylinder. Such an arrangement completely compensates for any variation in size of the materials contained in the cylinder. In some cases the food material may be held in the cylinders by friction, and in other cases such as when popcorn is dispensed, for example, the cardboard cylinder may be provided with easily removable ends. In the case of liquids, obviously the cardboard carrier cylinders will be sealed, with tabs or similar devices enabling one end thereof to be opened, and the cylinder then becomes a drinking cup after dispensing has occurred.

Having Just broadly described my invention, I

will now describe in detail a specific embodiment of my system as adapted for use in dispensing food materials, such as sausage sandwiches wherein each individual sandwich is heated just prior to delivery to the customer, and wherein the remainder of the stored food is held at room temperature, or, if desired, refrigerated.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 for a description of the storage facilities of my invention as used in a vending cabinet, a cabinet I is provided with a coin-slide 2 of conventional design. The cabinet l is also provided with a horizontal partition 3 on which is mounted an upright rod the upper end of this rod preferably terminating in a positioning fixture 5 on the top cover 6 of the cabinet.

Mounted to rotate freely on rod 4, and stacked one above each other, are a plurality of storage drums iii. Each of these storage drums i0 is provided with staggered rows of vertical tubes H, joining the top l2 and bottom I3 of each drum. Each drum is substantially identical, so that the tubes from top to bottom of the stack can register. The drums are positioned on rod 4, with the tubes in registry, connected and spaced by pins l5 and spacers M. The entire drum assembly or stack, may therefore be rotated as a unit on rod 3 with a space between each drum and the next lower drum. The lowest drum is supported on a bearing l6 so that there is also a space provided between partition 3 and the lower disc l3 of the lowest drum. In all of these spaces I position a separation plate II, this separation plate being fixedly attached at the center thereof to rod 4, so that the separation plates do not ro'tate, but stand still as the stack of drums is rotated.

Lower disc l3 of the lowermost drum is wider than the discs l2 and I3 of the remainder of the drums, and is provided, adjacent the periphery thereof, with a plurality of ratchet pins 20, these pins being used for the rotation of the stack, as will be described later.

Extending downwardly from partition 3 at the front of cabinet I is a discharge funnel 22, the upper aperture 23 of which is of sufficient size radially to register with a tube II in either the inner or the outer row of tubes of the lowest drum, whichever may be presented to it. The lower aperture 24 of the funnel 22, however, is substantially circular and of a size comparable to the sizeofthetube ll'so thatwhenacarrieris ischa'rged from a tube in either the inner row or the outer row of tubes in the lower drum, the carrier discharged will be directed to the same central location.

Plates ll, between each drum, are apertured so that only one unit of merchandise loaded in any of the tubes can be delivered from one drum to another, or from the lowest drum into funnel H, In order to accommodate transfer of mera merchandise carrier 2 in the form, for example, of a cylindrical cardboard tube which will slide readily within tubes H and which, when they are positioned within tubes I I, will normally have one end resting upon a plate I'i. Under normalcircumstances, therefore, the carriers are rotated with the drums supported against the urge of gravity within the drum tubes by a plate ii.

The lowest plate I1 is provided with an elongated aperture 2i oi a sufflcient size radially to intercept the paths of tubes ii, and thetherein contained merchandise carriers 28, in both inner and outer rows. However, the circumferential dimension of this aperture 21 is restricted to the width of one tube ii to allow the discharge of a single carrier to only from a tube ii, depending on exact registration of a front or rear row tube. Thus, carriers will be discharged alternately from the inner and outer rows of tubes. As aperture ii in plate ll is registered with the opening 23 in the top of funnel t2, the carrier 28 contained in the registered tube will drop through plate i1 into am el. 2%. The next carrier to register is still supported by the plate it. Thus, only one carrier at a time can drop out of the lowest drum.

Each of the other plates i i contain similar apertures it, but these upper apertures are circumierentially onset between each drum. Thus, as a carrier is unloaded into funnel 22 from the lowest I on another carrier is dropped into this drum im the drum ediately above, and so on up through the stack. This action occurs irrespective of how in drums are placed one above the other.

Thus, in each drum, using a preferred arcuate oflset of apertures ii, and with upper drums loaded, there will only be two empty tubes at any one time, one in each row. The lowest drum is maintained with its full quota of tubes filled, less two, at all times until all of the drums immediately above the lowest drum are empty. Discharge will then continue from the lowest drum only alone until the lowest is empty. e oflset can, however, be such as to leave only no empty tube. g of the drums may be easily accomplished by loading, the top drum only, then rotating the entire stack. The carriers will, during rotation, then be dropped from one drum to another until the lowest drum is full. The word 1111" as used herein, means that each drum has its full complement of carriers with the exception ofthe minimum number of empty spaces which must always be present in each drum.

In order that my device may be utilized as a simple dispenser, wherein any materials desired may be placed in the carrier tubes 28 and directly dispensed, all that is necessary is to provide a means for rotating the stack through a sumcient are so that one carrier will be discharged into funnel 22. It is obvious that it is possible to rotate the stack by the action of the coin-slide 2 alone, as such coin-slides have a suflicient stroke to move the stack directly through an are suma,ss4,eos

' chandise units in this manner, I prefer to utilize cient to discharge a carrier. However, 'it has been found that customers of vending machines are not particular as to the amount of force, speed or care they use in operating the. coin-slide, and I therefore prefer to utilize a, mctor driven ratchet mechanism to rotate the stack ver the proper arc. This arrangement comprises the use 0! a coin-switch 30, the contacts of which are momentarily closed by the operation or the coinslide. The description following will be related to Fig; 4 eschewing the electrical circuit used. 7

together with the mechanism as shown on the partition 3 in the other figures.

A motor 50 is mounted on top of partition 3 driving through speed reducing gears not shown. a vertical shaft 5| extending through the partition I. .The end of the shaft 5i below partition 3 i provided with a crank 52 operating a connecting rod II which in turn is attached to the end of a lever arm 54 rotatable on a pivot-pin 55 adjacent the insertion of rod 4 in the partition I. The outer end of arm 54 projects up-- wardly through an opening 56 in the partition,

and carries a block I51 on which is mounted a swinging pawl arm 58 having anotch 59 therein shaped to engage a pin "on lower disc i 3' of the bottom drum of the stack. Pawl 58 is held against the pins 20 by a pawl-spring 60. Beneath the partition 8, the outer end of arm 54 is provided with an insulating finger 6|, which in the resting position of arm 54, engages an upper switch contact 82 and forces this upper switch contact 62 away from a lower switch contact 63. Contacts 62 and 63 are connected in parallel with the contacts of the coin-switch 8d. The upper contact 62 of the switch moved by arm 54, is connected directly to one side of A.-C. supply line 84, the current being supplied thereto from A.-C'. mains 85 through a main switch 66. The, other closed, thus starting the motor.

connection Bl to motor 50. The other post of motor 50 is connected to lower contact 63 of the arm-operated switch 62-63.

The operation of the electrical system for the dispensing of a, single carrier from the stack is as follows: In resting condition, pawl notch 59 engages a pin 20 on the lower disc i3 of the lowest drum. In this condition switch 62-63 is open. The coin-switch 30 is also open. The tube ii in one row in the lowest drum, registered with aperture all, has already discharged its carrier. The next carrier 26 to be discharged, in the other row of the lowest drum, is resting on the edge of aperture t'i ready to be discharged. A coin is inserted in switch 2 and the slide pushed in. As the slide is pushed in, switch 30 is The motor starts to revolve crank-arm 52, which moves lever-arm 54 andpawl 58 to rotate the stack. At the same time, on the first movement of arm 54, the urge of insulating finger Si is withdrawn from switch ilk-d3 and this switch closes. Switch 62-63 is closed before the coin-slide 2 is withdrawn, so that when the slide is withdrawn to open switch it the motor will keep on running by current passing through contacts 62-63. The motor then drives crank 52 around one complete revolution, the first half of which advances the stack over'a sufllcient arc to discharge. the waiting carrier through aperture 21. The last half of the revolution of crank 52 resets pawl 58 in readiness for the next cycle.

After the crank 52 has completed one full revolution, the insulated finger I again opens switch 82-88 by bearing against the upper contact 82, and the motor stops.

The carrier which is discharged from the stack may slide directly through the cabinet wall to a shelf 88 by means of a cylinder 88, as shown in Fig. '7; or, as will be subsequently described, the carrier with its contents may be subjected to an additional heating operation, asshown in Figs.

1, 4, 5, and 8.

In case the articles contained in carriers 28 are to be dispensed at room temperature, obviously no further apparatus is necessary. If the articles to be dispensed are to be cooled, such as when carriers 28 are filled with a liquid drink,

I the entire stack may be cooled by refrigeration means placed within the cabinet and the articles discharged directly through cylinder 89. However, if the articles loaded in carriers 28 are to be of a food character where it is desirable that the food be heated, I prefer not to heat the entire stack of articles, because under these conditions food is apt to spoil, to dry out and a large amount of heat is required. I have found that by means of eddy-currents created by the application of a high-frequency alternating field to the individual food carriers, the time of heating can be cut down to a sufilciently low period as to be included within a satisfactory vending cycle. If the food is perishable at room temperature, the entire stack may be cooled to preserve the food in storage. I will therefore next describe the additional apparatus utilized when it is desired to individually heat the carriers and contents.

Under these conditions, I position immediately below lower opening 24 in funnel 22, a high-frequency coil supplied with high-frequency al-- ternating current from an oscillator 1|, preferably of the thermionic tube type. .Such oscillators are well known in the radio, electrical and therapeutic art. In order that carriers may be held in and discharged from the internal field later ll. Line 82 also leads to solenoid 73, the return from which is connected by line 8&1 to the other side of the filament and anode voltage supply 83, the junction of these two lines being connected by line 85 to the other side of A. C. supply 88. The anode voltage for the oscillator is preferably passed through a rectifier 88, also of the thermionic type; and in order to reduce timelag in the energization of the oscillator H I prefor that the cathodes of the tube or tubes in rectifier 88 be kept heated at all times by a direct cathodeconnection 9 to the A. C. supply 86.

Timing switch 78 is of the conventional type wherein the first movement of arm 88 closes the contacts 'll.'|8. Further movement of arm 88 winds up a spring within the timin switch. Upon the release of arm 88 by the return of arm 54, arm 88 is returned by the spring action only to its original position, this return being controlled as to time by a governor mechanism. Upon the return oi arm 88 of the timing switch to its original position, timing switch contacts H nd 18 are opened.

When switch contacts TI and 18 are closed by'first movement of arm 88, the filament and anode voltage supply 83 is energized, energizing the oscillator tubes with both filament and anode voltage, the latter being supplied through the rectifier 88. Inasmuch as the cathodes of recti fier 88 are continuously heated, oscillator H immediately starts into action, and high-frequency A. C. from this oscillator is delivered to coil iii. At the same time that the filament and anode voltage 83 is energized, solenoid 13 is energized .carrier has been discharged from the stack, the

of coil 18, I provide beneath the coil a swinging V gate 12 movable under the control of a solenoid I3. The solenoid is so connected to gate 12 by means of connecting rod 15, that, when the solenoid is energized, gate 12 will be moved to cover the lower end of coil 18, and return to restin position by gate spring 14 when the solenoid is deenergized. Thus, as a carrier drops out of the lowest drum it is guided by funnel 22 into the interior of coil I8, in which the carrier will stay or be discharged therefrom in accordance with the position of gate 12.

In order that the action of oscillator H may be properly timed and coordinated with the ac tion of gate 12 and the discharge of the carrier, I provide a timing circuit operating in conjunction with the stack rotating system. This timing circuit comprises a timing switch 16 as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, provided with a pair of switch contacts 11-48. These contacts ll-I8 are under the control of switch-arm 88, the outer end of this arm being positioned in the path ofrotationof arm 54, to be positively moved thereby in one direction only during the first half of the cycle of movement of arm 54. The arm 80 of the timing switch is coordinated with contacts 11-18, that when arm 54 is .in its normal neutral resting position, arm 80 is resting with contacts ll-18 open. Contact TI is connected to upper contact 62 of switch 82-83 by connection 8|, and contact 18 is connected through an oscillator line 82 to an oscillator filament and anode voltage supply 83 providing filament current and anode for the oscillator tubes in oscilgate 12 is positioned beneath the energized coil and holds the carrier in the coil.

During the stay of the carrier in the coil, whatever is contained in the carrier is subjected to the heating action of the high-frequency currents passing through the coil 18.

As the crank 52 starts the second half of its revolution, and the arm 54 returns to its normal position, it moves away from timing switch-arm 88. Thelatter returns to its original position in a time that is predetermined :by the setting of the governor of the time-switch. As the timing switch arm returns to its original position, contacts 11 and 88 are opened, the filament and anode voltage supply to the oscillator is cut oil, thus shutting off the high-frequency. The gate I2 is pulled away from below the coil by gate spring 18 and the heated carrier with its contained sandwich drops to the shelf 68 so that it will be available to the customer.

I have found, for example, that when sandwiches 98 are contained in the carrier, such as, for example, a bun which has been slit and had a sausage positioned within the slit, this bun being wrapped and forced into the carrier 26, a 15- second application of the high-frequency current to the sandwich is suflicient to heat the sandwich to a proper temperature for consumption,

Thus, the entire vending cycle is limited only have found that a 15-second application of the high-frequency current is sufiicient to bring the wrapped food up to a desired edible temperature.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a simple storage and dispensing mechanism comprising a plurality of storage drums stacked one above the other in such a manner that articles to be vended or dispensed are discharged only from thelowest unit, this lowest unit being kept substantially full at all times from upper units until the uppermost unit is emptied, whereupon the succeeding lower units become empty. Articles when so stored may be maintained at room or lower temperatures and individually discharged directly from the Stack under the control of the coin-switch, if desired. If it is desired that the articles be dispensed in heated condition, then the article is dispensed into a heating stage, where, for a short length of time, a predetermined part of the vending cycle, the article is heated by the action of a high-frequency field, even though it may be completely wrapped. After a certain definite time has elapsed, the heating current is shut off and the heated article automatically passed out of the device for use.

Obviously, therefore, my device may be utilized for the dispensing or vending of practically any and all articles which are capable of being enclosed and supported :by carriers of uniform size and shape under conditions of heat cold, or room temperature, and under control of a coin-switch if desired.

It should be pointed out that one of the main advantages of my invention is that highly perishable food can be dispensed in heated condition by the machine as above described, by cooling the entire stack to a proper storage temperature, and then slightly lengthening the time-of exposure of the carrier to the high-frequency heating system to compensate for the lower temperature of the carriers discharged into the heating system.

I claim:

1. In a storage machine for individually dispensing a uniformly packaged food item, a pluralilty of holders for individually packaged food items. a discharge chute, means for serially discharging said items along a predetermined path to said discharge chute, an electrically conductive coil disposed with its longitudinal axis along 2. In a storage machine for individually dispensing a uniformly packaged food item, a plurality of holders for individuall packaged food items, a discharge chute, means for serially discharging said items along a predetermined path to said discharge chute, an electrically conductive coil disposed with its longitudinal axis along said path, said coil being of a diameter suificient to permit passage of one of such items therethrough at a time, means for developing high frequency electrical energy in said coil, a gate swingably mounted to block the exit end of said coil in one position of said gate, and means for swinging said gate to said blocking position during energization of said high frequency electrical energy generating means while heating the food.

3. In a storage machine for individually dispensing a uniformly packaged food item, a plurality of holders for individually packaged food items, a discharge chute, means for serially discharging said items along a predetermined path to said discharge chute, said means including a wide mouthed funnel disposed in said path with its wide mouthed end toward said holders, an electrically conductive coil disposed adjacent the discharge end of said funnel and with its longitudinal axis along said path, said coil being of a diameter sufiicient to permit passage of one of such items therethrough at a time, means for developing high said path, said coil being of a diameter sufilcient frequency electrical energy in said coil, and means for blocking movement of such item within said coil, said blocking means being held in blocking position during energization of said coil while heating the food.

4. In a storage machine for individually dispensing a uniformly packaged food item, a plurality of holders for individually packaged food items, a discharge chute, means for serially discharging said items along a predetermined path to said discharge chute, said means including a funnel disposed in said path with its wide end toward said holders, electrical induction heating means receiving said items and disposed alongside the predetermined path of travel of, such items beyond the discharge end of said funnel, means for developing high frequency electrical energy in said electrical induction heating means, and means for blocking movement of such item within said heating means, said blocking means being held in blocking position during energize.- tion of said heating means while heating the food.

HARRY c. wannm 

